Textbook Adoption Process

If your institution/department has a textbook adoption process, pat yourself on the back – you're ahead of the game. Most institutions do not have a written textbook adoption policy, or have one that is not enforced. Mainly, state laws drive the textbook adoption process. At the time of this writing, 27 states have K-12 textbook adoption statutes on the books that require accessible formats; yet, only a handful have higher education statutes.

In the K-12 environment, it is typical for the textbook adoption process to take two to three years. In a typical scenario, books are submitted by publishers to the state board of education for review. To even be considered, most publishers have to sign assurances that the book will be provided in accessible formats by the time of purchase. Publishers agree to this because they know that they will have sufficient time to produce them when and if the book is adopted. They further know that the quantities ordered will justify the time and expense of creating accessible formats.

After a lengthy period of time, the book is officially adopted by the state, purchased in quantity and shipped to the school districts for use. The average lifespan of a typical K-12 textbook is two to three years, but some states use books much longer.

In contrast to the K-12 model, textbook adoptions in higher education proceed more quickly since they are in many cases determined by the instructor. Policies vary widely from state to state. The student, who has virtually no input on its selection, carries the cost of textbooks. Publishers send free desk copies of books to colleges, departments, and even individual instructors for evaluation. The instructor then chooses a book, in many cases independently of other instructors or departments. In some cases, instructors do not decide on a textbook until just before or even after the course begins.

It is not uncommon for the more populous courses to change textbooks annually or even each semester. Publishers make up for the lack of quantity sales (such as is found in the K-12 process) with variety and currency. In essence, textbooks must be constantly updated in order for the publisher to make money.

In general, institutional adoption policies are loosely enforced, even if they exist. Many instructors feel strongly that any limit on the selection of textbooks is a blow to academic freedom, while others see utility in having some policies to insure consistency across the institution. The net result is a system of textbook adoption that has far more current textbooks than the K-12 system but sacrifices process, consistency, and (you guessed it), accessibility.